This invention relates to devices for reducing the harmful effects of cigarette smoke, and particularly, to devices and methods for eliminating sidestream smoke from a cigarette or other smoking article.
Recent studies indicate that cigarette smoking can have very serious health consequences even to those who choose not to smoke. One health risk to non-smokers arises from their inhaling secondary smoke produced as another person smokes a cigarette or other smoking article.
There are two types of secondary smoke. The first type of secondary smoke comprises smoke that is first inhaled into the smoker's lungs and then exhaled. A substantial portion of the harmful chemicals and particulate matter in the inhaled smoke is adsorbed or deposited in the smoker's lungs, mouth, and throat tissue as the smoke passes over the tissue. Thus, this exhaled secondary smoke has been partially cleaned at the expense of the smoker's lungs, mouth, and throat. The second type of secondary smoke is produced from the coal of the cigarette or other smoking article between times when the smoker inhales, or as the smoker inhales. A large portion of this smoke, which is referred to as sidestream smoke, is produced while the cigarette is being held by the smoker or while the cigarette or other smoking article is resting in an ashtray. Sidestream smoke is even more harmful than exhaled smoke because it is not partially cleaned by passing through the smoker's lungs. Furthermore, at times when the cigarette is simply being held or is resting in an ash tray, the combustion process at the cigarette coal is very inefficient and leaves many harmful particulates and gasses in the sidestream smoke.
A number of devices have been used to remove secondary smoke from smoking areas. One effective method for reducing the effects of secondary smoke was simply to thoroughly ventilate an area where smoking was allowed. Ventilating even relatively small areas, however, required large blowers for drawing smoke-laden air from the area and input vents allowing the influx of fresh air. Not only were the blowers expensive and often noisy, ventilation to remove secondary smoke was very inefficient where area heating or cooling was required.
Another method for reducing the effects of secondary smoke was to draw the secondary smoke-laden air through or over a suitable filter medium to filter particulates from the smoke. However, filter devices also required a high volume blower to draw smoke-laden air through the filter medium and thus were often noisy and quite expensive. Furthermore, recirculating filter units only removed particulate matter from the secondary smoke. Also, since such devices did not eliminate smoke at the source, the secondary smoke could not necessarily be cleaned with the filter device before it was inhaled and the harm done.